With an increasing number of people looking for career options, part-time work continues to be a popular option for a lot of people. The growing number of sectors that often advertise part-time positions is one of the biggest reasons for this. Part-time jobs were once only usually found for customer service and retail roles; however, while these industries are still popular with part-time workers, opportunities now exist in a wider variety of industries including healthcare, marketing, education, IT and more.

What are the Best Part Time Jobs East London?

The UK capital is currently the largest sector for part-time jobs, with tens of thousands of positions now offered. These include part-time roles in a wide range of industries including healthcare, engineering, teaching, finance, admin, graphic design, and more. Hours for part-time jobs also vary a lot, meaning that you could be working anything from ten to thirty hours per week depending on the role and the company that you apply for. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic causing a temporary drop in part-time positions in hospitality and retail environments, there is still a strong demand for part-time employees to work in these areas, and since the lifting of lockdown and other restrictions, the number of these positions available has only grown.

How to Get Part Time Retail Jobs London

Retail jobs in London were less popular throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as non-essential stores closed to the public. However, since the lifting of lockdown and the re-opening of these businesses, part-time retail jobs have only boomed further in the UK capital, with more and more companies looking to hire good employees. You can easily find part-time retail jobs in London by searching on any job board. Retail jobs include but are not limited to working in supermarkets, department stores, clothing stores, tech stores, and many other retail environments.

What is Part-Time Gig Work?

Another popular option for those who want to work part-time is gig work. Gig work is often done on a self-employed rather than an employed basis and involves doing smaller jobs for certain clients. Rather than taking on a part-time employment contract, you can take gigs as and when you are available to do them and many people do this on top of working part-time or full-time in an employed role, such as making parcel or food deliveries on the weekend after working Monday to Friday. This could be an ideal option for you to consider if you want extra work to make some more money, but don’t want to be tied into a second employment contract.

Are There Any Problems with Part-Time Jobs?

One of the biggest issues with working part-time is that they do not often offer a lot of protection in the event that working hours are reduced. While you can find some part-time jobs that guarantee a minimum of a certain number of hours per week in work, these days, the majority of part-time jobs available today are on zero hours contracts, meaning that your employer could reduce your hours to zero for weeks at a time, with no protection in place for you. However, despite this issue, part-time jobs in the UK are booming, as companies see the advantages of having employees on more flexible contracts that can easily be changed in line with the market trends.

When to Work Part-Time

Although for some, a part-time job can cause issues with working hours and having no guarantee that they will get a certain number of hours per week, part-time jobs do offer a lot of benefits. They can be an ideal way to get some work experience and a great way to enter a specific industry, especially with an increasing number of sectors across the UK now offering part-time positions. Most part-time jobs come with a range of benefits including immediate starts, flexible working hours, and reduced candidate requirements. However, on the downside, many of these benefits are only short-term since part time jobs simply do not provide the same career development compared to full-time jobs. As a result, for most people, working part-time is an ideal choice when they need a stop-gap between working full-time jobs or when getting into a new industry.

Of course, another major benefit for many people who work part-time is the flexibility of these roles. Flexible working hours is one of the biggest perks of working part-time and is one of the main reasons why these roles are favoured by students, parents, and anybody else who wants to find work that they can easily fit around their other commitments. Along with this, many part-time jobs can now be performed from home and there are more employers advertising work-from-home part-time roles since this has become more and more commonplace after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Where to Find and Get Part-Time Jobs

While it can be easy to think about overlooking part-time job vacancies if you believe that working part-time won’t provide you with the stability, income, or relevant experience needed to stand out in the industry, for some people, working part-time can be a better option. In fact, six million people prefer working part-time than full-time, since they find that it offers more flexibility. Part-time employment can be an ideal way to get a better work-life balance if you are studying, parenting young children, or simply want more time to pursue your passions. It can also be an ideal choice if you are working on starting your own business but need something to bring in an income right now.

Part-time job opportunities should be taken just as seriously as full-time positions. Searching for and applying for part-time jobs takes a similar process, and you should be diligent, organised, and professional throughout.

Look for Part-Time Jobs in Your Area

Sometimes, it can be easy to find good part-time jobs as you may notice that businesses have signs to notify you that they are hiring as you walk around your local area. Next time you are out in London for shopping or entertainment, keep an eye out for any posters or signs that businesses are looking to hire part-time workers. This is often more common around the Christmas period as businesses look to take on temporary relief staff to help them with the surge in demand around this time. However, while this is not a permanent position, it can often be a great way to get a foot in the door at a new company since many companies will keep the details of the best Christmas temp staff and invite them back later in the year if more positions become available.

Look for Part-Time Jobs Online

The best way to find a part-time job in London is to search online. You can use popular job board sites like Indeed, Monster, GlassDoor, or FlexJobs to find a suitable part-time job in the area for you. All you need to do is use the search features to find positions that match the type of job that you are interested in, in the area where you want to work. Most sites will give you the option to narrow down your results to only show part-time positions. If you are more interested in gig work, you can use the AppJobs website to find gigs that are suited to your skills and experience.

Using Your Skills to Get a Part-Time Job in London

Thinking about your skills, experience, and interests and how they can be used to your advantage when you get a part-time job is one of the most essential things to do. Consider how your specific skills and previous experience relate to the job description or how you could relate them to the position once working in it. For example, if you are looking at a part-time retail job and are quite a creative person who is good at coming up with new ideas, consider how this will work in a retail environment, such as coming up with new ways to deal with large numbers of customers or coming up with creative solutions to handle stock shortages.

Create a CV for Part-Time Work

Finally, before applying for the part-time jobs that have caught your eye, it’s a good idea to create a resume that is designed to help you get part-time jobs. Focus on creating a CV and cover letters that stand out, and can be tailored to the different part-time vacancies that you are interested in. Your CV should highlight your experiences and skills and be as engaging a read as possible for recruiters. Bear in mind that one in five employers will have already made up their minds about a CV before they have got to the end of it, which is why making sure that yours stands out from the rest of the pile for all the right reasons is crucial.

Part-time work is becoming more popular as people want more flexibility in their life and an increasing number of sectors offer part-time positions. If you want to work part-time in London, there are various opportunities available with something for everyone.